This is the 6th episode of a 9-part series on the 1924 New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ rugby team forever known as “The Invincibles”.
This series is both the telling of an epic story and an extraction of timeless lessons around shared identity, team culture and leadership.
In each episode I am joined by a guest who helps navigate the events that unfold, and sheds light on insights that have a contemporary significance.
In this 6th episode I’m joined by my mate Ian Mitchell. Mitch is a proud Welshman, and the Head of Performance Psychology at Newcastle United, who play in the Premier League. He has previously been the lead sports psych for both the Wales and England men's national football teams. Prior to that Mitch was an academic for a number of years, as well as working with Swansea City in the Premier League.
This episode is called “Redemption” and explores the team’s navigation of the first two test matches - against Ireland and then Wales, including:
- the wider social context of their visit to Ireland
- the rest and recover focused build up of the team to the test against Ireland
- the players desire to strongly engage in the communities they visited
- the test match against ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
- how the team commemorated Remembrance Day on 11 November 1924
- key matches against Cambridge and Oxford universities
- the drama and consequences of Cliff Porter not being selected for the test against Wales
- the 'redemption' test match against Wales - the only team to have beaten the 1905 'Original' All Blacks team
In this episode Mitch and I traverse these events and explore in conversation:
- how engaging with local communities helped build the All Blacks resilience
- Welsh identity expressed through its rugby
- the Invincibles' anti-burnout measures
- the relationship between Process and Outcome
- delivering your full Identity in the biggest games
The visual version of this episode, including images of players and events mentioned, is available on YouTube here.